FIC: Prisms-Green

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Prisms-Green

Anything can be raised to an art form. Absolutly anything. 
Let's take for example..oh..the Art of Ignoring Someone. Being able to 
ignore someone or something about someone for a short period of time 
is easy. In fact the capability to do so is practically built in. 

Ah..but if you want to ignore someone for a long time, 
say..years and years and additionally this is someone by all rights 
you should not be ignoring, that it is, in fact, someone you should be 
careing for. Why to maintain that sort of Ignorance takes..disipline, 
planning, will power and desire to succeed come hell or high water. 

Like any other art form is can also be taught and I had 
learned it pretty damn well. My parents had taught the Art of Ignoring 
to me and now, having mastered it, I ignored them. Lying in my bed, in 
the basement not bothered in the slightest by the fight going on over 
my head. Just working on my latest bit of 'Art'. 
But one cannot sacrifice everything for their work can they. 
No, particularly when someone is banging at the door leading to their 
hidey-hole. Which some people are. I clamber out of my bed, slip on my 
jeans and slowly climb the stairs. I can hear voices from the other 
side.
	
"?good is he anyway? Comedy relief? It's not like she wanted 
any of you, any of us to know what was going on."

Ah. Great, I get over an eight hour shift, listen to my 
parents relive the top ten prize fights of all time, and now, when I 
should be embracing moebius I get to suffer verbal abuse from a vamp. 

"He has to know, he has a right to know."
	
That makes me pause. Right to know what?

"That is out an' out bullshit Watcher an' you bloody well know it. He 
has the right to know exactly what she want's him to know and not one 
bit more. Obviously she doesn't want anyone to know, I just came 
across the problem you think I want my life this complicated?"

"She needs help Spike, she has to come to grips with this and the best 
person to help her with that is the person who is almost family to 
her."

I open the door. "She's not almost family." I say. "Willow is family."

"Oh nice entrance Harris, two thumbs up for dramatic overtones." Spike 
backs his jibe by actually giving me two thumbs up.

"Happy Days ended years ago Spike. Deal with it." I sayand brush past 
the impotent one and approach Giles. "Yo G-Man what's up. Much as I 
like to see you and we're all bonded an' everything I gotta say I 
question yer sense of?"

"Willow was raped, Xander." He says.

"What?"
"I said 'Willow was raped." Giles repeats.
"Actually you said 'Willow was raped, Xander.'" Spike adds.

And I throw up. Get my shoes too. Which really bothers me because they 
are nice shoes. 
I can't suddenly remember why I've thrown up either, just that I was 
throwing up, had messed up my shoes, was angry because I had done that 
and?oh..that's right.

Throw up again. Don't nail my shoes this time though, which is good. 
Happy thoughts..lots of happy thoughts. Threw up, twice, didn't get my 
shoes this time. Good aim Xander. Let's throw a party. 
Why? 
Cause I didn't throw up on my shoes twice after hearing how my best 
friend was ra..ra?

Oh God.

Can't see..can't hear. Can feel though. Can feel LOTS. Loose thread in 
my shirt, small dry spot on the inside of my left pant leg, right 
behind the knee. Itched a lot at work. Bad dry spot. Gonna wash you 
right out of my pants. Acid burns in my throat..felt those..hurt? Can 
feel the moonbeams on my skin and the grass in my head. Hate..lots of 
that. There's a whole lot of hating going on and most of it, well, 
let's not by coy, all of it's spinning around in my guts. Got these 
big?firey..well?yeah..firery..ropey..ropes of hate. Burning and 
twisting..looping around ..choking me..and burning..and it's for 
everything and I wanna share it everything..and.. I can hear again.

"We don't have time for this." 

Hard blow hits me, left side of the face..now THAT is burning. Ow. 
I can see again?there's um?um..Spike, that's it, can see Spike holding 
his head. Muttering..must have forgotten about that chip. Silly 
vamp?chips are for kids! No, wait that's not funny.

And it's quiet. 
And I'm back.
Maybe.

"Giles?" I hear my voice. Wow, my throat is sore, what the hell have I 
been doing, screaming for the last few minutes?
"Xander, are you alright? Can you hear me? You've been screaming for 
the last few minutes."
Typical.

"Yeah..yeah?" I manage to croak out. "I ..think I got a hearing 
problem."

"No," That's Spike talking now. Lord I hate that accent. "What you 
have is a denial problem. Willow..Red..the Witch?y'know who I'm 
talking about? Her? Yeah. Good. She was raped. Fact. Deal."

Giles is glaring now..at Spike of course, I havn't done anything to 
earn a full bore 'Gile Glare' since the first time I called him G-Man. 

"Willow?" I'm muttering now. Glory be.
"Yes." Spike says.
"She..was?."
"You're doing good kid. Keep at it."
"Raped?"

"On second thought, maybe you do have a hearing problem. I could have 
ol' Ripper hear beat you about the head a bit. That's might clear up 
some bedsprings." 

I stand up. Giles is backing away giving me a little breathing 
room..or swinging room. 

"Spike."
"No..really? Where?" Always with the comeback. 
"Dru's dead." I say.
"What?" Ah, that got his attention. 
"She came by today. Selling Avon products. Knocked on my door, 
asked if I'd like to the latest in Summer fasions. Reamed her with a 
broomstick, felt good too." 
"What?" Indeed, what..as in what the hell am I doing? Another 
snappy line, more witty banter. Is that all I'm good for? Is Spike 
right? Comedy relief?

I grin..I'm grinning a lot..I don't think I can stop. It's 
that or nothing. Crying isn't an option, it's not any of that 
'Unmanly' crap..I think I've forgotten how.

"Actually I'm just kidding. As far as I know she's off 
galaventing with some denizen from below?like..someone from Kansas 
maybe. Just showing ya that I'm not the only one with hearing 
problems." 
Shut up..shut up..this isn't the time but I can't stop because 
if I do stop I'm might start screaming again and never come back from 
it and that would be bad because right now, right now, someone needs 
me.

Shake my head a few times..clear it up..few deep breaths..get 
the heart pumping?better. 
"Ok.." I say. "Ok?what makes you think..no..what makes you 
know Willow was raped?"

Giles steps forward. "Spike here?"
"Phrase your words carefully 'Ripper'," Spike growls. "I don't 
care for another round of 'Dodge the Looney'."
"Yes..of course." Giles starts over. "Spike was ..taking a 
walk..and, according to him, he saw Willow walking back to the campus. 
He claims that he could 'Smell the men on her'."
	
"Not just that 'Ripper', not just that at all. I could..for 
lack of a better term..smell her shame. And blood, was running down 
the inside of one of her legs. Not just blood either. Throw in that I 
could hear her trying not to cry, plus the tears in her 
clothing?well..as I said. Fact. Deal." He shrugs.

I really..really..am wishing I had something more to throw up.
I settle for getting angry.

"Who?" I demand.
Spike shrugs again. "Don't know that yet. But I got there 
scents locked in the skull and me 'Ripper' here are doing a 
little?.hunting. Isn't that right?"

"Yes." Giles says. "It is."
And that's what gets my attention. Not Giles the quiet, 
informative, librarian..reasearcher, coach..father figure. But Ripper, 
and it is Ripper, the demon summoner, the fighter the..the?damn he 
said that scary. I can relate, I'm feeling pretty scary myself.

"And when we find them?"

Spike is smiling now, and it's not a nice smile at all. 

"Hunters don't usually go to the trouble of buying their prey 
snack cakes and ice cream after tracking them down, I see no reason to 
break tradition. Do you Harris?"

He's smiling at me now. I'm smiling back.

"No Dead Boy." I say. "No reason at all."